ey were glad enough to get a
long night's sleep.

Before Rob, the leader of the younger members of the party, had rolled
up in his blankets Alex came to him and asked him whether he really
cared to finish running the river, provided they could get out
overland.

"Surely we do," said Rob at once. "We'll go on through, as far as we
can, at least, by boat. We don't want to be modern and ride along on
horseback until we have to. Mackenzie didn't and Fraser didn't! Nor do
we want to go to any trading-post for supplies. We can get butter and
eggs in the States if we want to, but we're _hunters_! You show us a
grizzly to-morrow, Alex, that's all!"

"All right," said Alex, smiling. "Maybe we can."

XVI

THE GRIZZLY HUNT

"Why, Alex, this land along the bayou here looks like a cattle-yard!"
exclaimed Rob as early the next morning they paused to examine a piece
of the moist ground which they had observed much cut up with tracks of
big game.

There were four in party now, Moise alone having remained to keep the
camp. For an hour or more now they had passed back toward the hills,
examining the damp ground around the edges of the willow flats and
alder thickets. From time to time they had seen tracks of bears, some
large and some small, but at this particular point the sign was so
unmistakable that all had paused.

"I don't know that I ever saw more sign on one piece of ground,"
admitted Alex. He spoke in a low tone of voice and motioned for the
others to be very quiet. "The trouble is, they seem to be feeding at
night and working back toward the hills in the daytime. On this
country here there have been six black bears and two grizzlies."

"Yes, and here's that big track again," said Rob. "He sinks in the mud
deep as an ox, and has a hind foot as long as my rifle-stock."

"Six or eight hundred pounds, maybe," said Alex. "He's a good one. The
other one isn't so big. They fed here last night, and seem to be
working up this little valley toward the hills again. If we had plenty
of time I'd be in favor of waiting here until evening, for this seems
to be a regular stamping-ground for bear. What do you think, Mr. Rob?"

"Well," said Rob, "I know it usually isn't much worth while to follow
a bear, but maybe it wouldn't do any harm in here to work on after
this one a little way, because there doesn't seem to be any hunting in
here, and maybe the bears aren't badly scared."

"Very well, that's what I think, too," sai